Expert: Andy - 10/10/2006

Question
Thank You for your insiteful opinon. I did as you said and called HR, no answer, so then called the office manager. He was very friendly and said no was was hired yet and hasn't spoken to the woman who was making the final decision. I asked if there was anything more I needed to move the decision along? "Put the Ball in His Court" he would get back to me! This one sounds like it lost in bureauratic file, as you mentioned. Well I don't plan on giving this anymore of my energy and hope the second job comes though.

Thanks for your insite I'll keep you posted.

Thomas
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Followup To

Question -
I have been interviewed by a very well know organization in NYC for a Senior Level position.
My first interview was with HR. Then came back and met with senior level Office Manager and then another senior level Divsion Manager. Both these interviews went great! My four interview was with the person I was to eventually replace in a couple of years. She said they would make their decision in three weeks. Three weeks go by and I called HR and they said they have not made a decision, but one should be made by next week. Another week has gone by. What do you think I should do next? Move on or maybe write a follow-up letter? and to which person? HR? Manager I would be taking over for? Just forget about it?
By the way I send followup letters after each of my interviews.

Thanks for your opinon.

PS; I have been on one other interview for another job which I have been called back for a second interview which went well. Waiting to hear from that as well. But I would rather have the job I mentioned above.

Answer -
Hi Thomas,

This is a classic situation we have all faced in our careers & as you know, there’s a fine line between being persistent & being a pest. So let’s work this situation out logically.

First of all, there are three types of job markets. One is where there are a number of positions available & the job seeker/employee has an advantage. There’s another where jobs are tight & the employer has the pick of the litter. Lastly, there is the job market where it is flat & no one has a true advantage. From what was described in your note, it appears in your market right now the advantage, whether you realize it or not, is in your hands. Both companies you visited with appear to like you.

Unfortunately, the first company you met has not been forthcoming with an answer & that could be for a number of reasons. They could be very careful & having a problem getting responses from your references. Or they are still gathering input from the people who met you as well as putting an offer of employment proposal together for you. Or they could be very bureaucratic, not in an immediate rush or just want to consider other candidates. Whichever situation it is, you’re getting a little more insight into this company & from a professional point of view, there’s no excuse for their not contacting you as of yet. Most employers are aware that candidates are anxious about the status of their acceptance, and will let them know in a timely manner. But, there are employers who do keep candidates waiting and wondering what happened, even though they said they would call by a certain date. Take this into consideration & as insight about the company's practices and consider whether you would want to work for this company. So where do we go from here?

Wait until next Tuesday. Monday’s are usually not the best day to call. Meetings are taking place & frankly, people are recovering from their weekends. However on Tuesday, I’d be loaded for bear. I would start where everything began by calling the Human Resources Department; be polite but firm. A few things may result. They may tell you the position has been filled or you are no longer being considered or no decision has been made as of yet but you are still in the running. If you received one of the first two answers, the issue’s resolved. If you’re told no decision has been made, I would thank the HR rep, hang up & immediately call the Sr. Level Office Manager that you met. If you are lucky enough to get them on the phone, let them know you had spoken with HR & understand you are still in the running & wanted to know if anymore information was needed to seal a deal because you really want to become part of their organization.  Flattery does indeed work.

At this point you’ve bounced the ball into the Office Manager’s court, so you should be prepared for any response. If it’s bad news, thank them for the time spent with you. If it is good news, let them know you are excited to become a member of their organization & ask what the next steps would be. If you are told a decision hasn’t been made, ask when there will be one & if they would contact you with that decision. If you never hear from them again, then that is good news because who would want to work with a company that cares so little about potential employees? Don’t they understand that experiences with their company, both good & bad, gets shared with family, friends & neighbors?

You obviously have a marketable talent as evidenced by your recent interviews. No one can take that away from you. I would begin channeling your energy into a more positive manner & further pursue the second company that met with you as well as checking on other opportunities that may be out there. Putting all your eggs into one basket waiting for Company #1 to get their act together may prevent you from seeing other opportunities that can help shape the rest of your career. I know you may want to be a player with Company #1, the “Yankees.” However, keep in mind Company #2, the “Mets”, are not a bad organization either.

Thomas, I hope you find this information helpful & that you are happy in whichever career decision you choose. I’d be interested in learning how everything worked out for you. Best of luck to you Thomas. When time permits, please fill out the allexperts.com rating questionnaire & let me know if this advice was of value to you.

Regards,
Andy  

Answer
Thanks for the update Thomas.I look forward to learning how everything ends.

When interviewing with a company, you never know how things will work out. Some are very, very slow to make an offer because the offer may have to be approved by a numerous levels of management. In some cases the hiring manager is forced to prove they have exhausted & interviewed all potential internal candidates before an offer can be created. Once the offer is created, it may have to go through the same approval process again. Once an offer is tendered, a company will usually give the candidate about 48 hours to respond. Once accepted, a drug test & background check must be done. Then usually the candidate has to give two weeks notice & during that 2 week period, the current employer may come back with a counter-offer or the candidate may get cold feet & decide to stay. Then the process would start all over again. So with a bureaucratic organization, this process can take weeks.

Now the office manager owes you a response which may or may never come. Don’t take this as a negative reflection on you. It sounds like this company is slow to make decisions & that could become quite frustrating if you choose to join their organization. I wouldn’t let this Office Manager off the hook, especially if you still want the job. I’d call them again on Thursday afternoon & ask if they had talked to the Hiring Manager. If they hadn’t, I’d call the Hiring Manager directly on Friday morning & get a status from them. You’ve acted very professionally up to this point & it is only right that the company return the professional courtesy. Hang it there Thomas & good luck.

Regards,
Andy